PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claimed PTSD was not incurred in active military service and therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from May 10, 2005 to June 15, 2009 and granted a 100 percent rating effective June 16, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining unit records and fire department records from the 50th Ordinance Company. The Veteran will be provided with an examination to determine if any psychiatric disorder is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of corroborating evidence for the Veteran's claimed stressors, and further development is needed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and determined that new evidence supports a current diagnosis, thus granting service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 50 percent disabling, and the claim for an increased rating has been denied. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, and the Board found that he is not entitled to a higher rating. The issue of TDIU remains pending as it requires further development.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it more closely approximates total occupational and social impairment warranting a 100 percent rating.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by depression, anxiety, anger, social isolation, sleep impairment, short-term memory impairment, difficulty with social and industrial interactions, hypervigilance, occasional flashbacks, and poor concentration. These symptoms produce occupational and industrial impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, effective February 26, 2007. The Board finds that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximate a 70 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a current VA psychiatric examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected PTSD, which contributed to the development of chronic obstructive lung disease. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board found that the reduction of the Veteran's PTSD rating from 50 percent to 30 percent was not warranted, and thus restored the original 50 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims, including a psychiatric examination and issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include depression.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at the highest possible disability level (100%) since October 10, 2008. Prior to this date, his symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and clarifying his employment status. The case will be reviewed again after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since July 19, 2006. Prior to that date, he was granted a 30 percent rating for his PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for hearing loss and lumbosacral strain. The Veteran's PTSD claim is pending due to the need for verification of stressors.